The founder of the Valentino brand has passed away: how Valentino Garavani changed fashion
19 January 22:37
Valentino Garavani, the 93-year-old designer and founder of the Italian fashion house Valentino, has died in Rome. This was announced in a statement by his foundation on Instagram, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
“Valentino Garavani died today at his residence in Rome, surrounded by his loved ones,” the statement said.
The farewell to the legendary designer will take place on Wednesday and Thursday at Piazza Mignanelli in Rome, and the funeral will be held on Friday at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri.
Valentino Garavani founded the luxury fashion house Valentino in 1960. Today, it is one of the most popular and expensive clothing brands.
In 1998, Garavani sold the company but remained with it. In 2007, Garavani announced his retirement.
What is known about Valentino Garavani
The future fashion legend was born on May 11, 1932, in Voghera, Italy. As a teenager, he became fascinated with beauty and art, and was inspired by the color red, which he saw on elegant ladies while attending the opera in Barcelona.
In 1949, he moved to Paris, where he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts and worked at the fashion houses of Jean Dessès and Guy Laroche.
A year later, Valentino joined the fashion houses of Balmain and Christian Dior.
Valentino’s first celebrity client was American actress Elizabeth Taylor.
How Valentino changed fashion
Valentino launched his own brand in the early 1960s: in 1960, he opened a studio in Rome on Via Condotti, quickly becoming a favorite of the public and foreign clients.
It was then that his signature style emerged: elegant silhouettes, impeccable tailoring, and the recognizable shade of “Valentino Red,” which later became the hallmark of the house.
Valentino Garavani’s first show took place in 1966 and immediately made the clothing designer famous. Among Valentino’s famous clients at the time were actress Audrey Hepburn and British Princess Margaret. In 1968, the designer used his “V” logo as a decoration for clothing for the first time.
In 1984, Garavani was awarded the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. He designed the Olympic uniform for the Italian national team twice.
Throughout his career, he dressed numerous stars and members of royal families, including Jacqueline Kennedy, Sophia Loren, Julia Roberts, Cate Blanchett, and Elizabeth Taylor.
Giancarlo Giammetti, Valentino’s partner, played an important role in the development of the fashion house, taking charge of business and financial matters while the designer himself focused entirely on his creative work.
In 1998, the designer sold the brand, and in 2007, he officially left the fashion scene, staging a farewell collection in Rome.
His life and work were featured in the internationally acclaimed documentary Valentino: The Last Emperor.
How Valentino invented a new color
The designer patented a signature shade of red that became Valentino’s trademark.
This passion for red came about after Garavani attended Georges Bizet’s opera “Carmen” in Barcelona, where everything was bright red: from the costumes to the floral arrangements on stage.
Today, the Pantone palette includes Red Valentino: a bright red with a hint of orange. The designer’s farewell collection in 2008 was entirely in Red Valentino.
